View source for Generality Lands

{{short description|Lands controlled by the States-General of the Seven Provinces}}
{{anchor|History}}
{{History of the Low Countries}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2022}}
The '''Generality Lands''', '''Lands of the Generality''' or '''Common Lands''' ({{langx|nl|Generaliteitslanden}}) were about one-fifth of the territories of the [[Dutch Republic|United Provinces]] of the Netherlands, that were directly governed by the [[States-General of the Netherlands|States-General]]. Unlike the seven provinces of [[Holland]], [[Zeeland]], [[Utrecht (province)|Utrecht]], [[Guelders]], [[Overijssel]], [[Friesland]] and [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]], these territories had no [[States-Provincial]] and were not represented in the central government. At the time of the [[Union of Utrecht]], these territories were under Spanish control, and would only be conquered by the Dutch Republic later in the war. From an economic point of view, they were exploited with heavy taxes and levies.

==History==
[[File:Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden.svg|300px|thumb|The Dutch Republic 1715–1785<br />
{{legend|#cefef2|Generality Lands}}]]
In the latter years of the [[Eighty Years' War]] the Generality Lands came under control of the Dutch Republic, and this situation was consolidated by the [[Treaty of Westphalia]] in 1648. Most of the territories had no provincial government because they were cut off from their original governments, which remained under [[Spanish Netherlands|Spanish rule]]. In contrast to the northern seven provinces, the population of the Generality Lands was overwhelmingly [[Roman Catholic]]. The [[Prefix (linguistics)|prefix]] {{lang|nl|Staats-}} indicates that this part of the province was under general ''States rule'', as a [[dependent territory]]. For both the '''Generality Lands''' and the [[Dutch colonies]], sovereignty was claimed by the Generality on the basis [[right of conquest]].

*'''Brabant of the States''' ({{lang|nl|Staats-Brabant}}): the northern part of the [[Duchy of Brabant]], most of the present province of [[North Brabant]]
*'''Flanders of the States''' ({{lang|nl|Staats-Vlaanderen}}): the northern part of the [[County of Flanders]], present [[Zeelandic Flanders]] and nowadays part of the province of [[Zeeland]]
*'''Overmaas of the States''' ({{lang|nl|Staats-Overmaas}}): the [[Lands of Overmaas]] – several small territories between [[Maastricht]], [[Liège]] and [[Aachen]], including the {{ill|County of Dalhem|nl|Graafschap Dalhem}} ([[Dalhem]]), {{ill|Valkenburg Land|nl|Land van Valkenburg}} ([[Valkenburg aan de Geul|Valkenburg]]) and the {{ill|Herzogenrath Land|nl|Land van 's-Hertogenrade}} ([[Herzogenrath|Hertogenrade]]). The city of Maastricht was a [[Condominium (international law)|condominium]] of the United Provinces and the [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège]]. {{lang|nl|Overmaas}} literally means "beyond the [[Meuse]]" or "Trans-Meuse" (from the perspective of [[Brussels]]). The 19th century term "Staats-Limburg", invented for nationalistic reasons, is historically and geographically incorrect.
*'''Upper Guelders of the States''' ({{lang|nl|Staats-Opper-Gelre}}): as a result of the [[Treaty of Utrecht]] (1713) a part of [[Spanish Guelders]], including [[Venlo]] and [[Echt, Limburg|Echt]], was ceded to the United Provinces, while another part went to [[Prussia]] and a small part around [[Roermond]] was left for the [[Austrian Netherlands|Austrian duchy of Guelders]].
*[[Westerwolde (region)|Westerwolde]] and [[Wedde]]: what is now the southeastern part of the province of [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]] was a generality land between 1594 and 1619, after which it became part of that province.

After the French occupation of the [[Southern Netherlands]] and the proclamation of the [[Batavian Republic]] in 1795 the Generality Lands ceased to exist. Staats-Brabant became a {{lang|fr|[[département]]}} in the [[Batavian Republic]] ({{lang|nl|Bataafs-Brabant}}). Staats-Vlaanderen became part of the French {{lang|fr|département}} [[Escaut (département)|Escaut]]. {{lang|nl|Staats-Overmaas}} and {{lang|nl|Staats-Opper-Gelre}} became parts of the French {{lang|fr|départements}} of [[Roer (département)|Roer]] and [[Meuse-Inférieure]].

When French rule ended and the [[United Kingdom of the Netherlands]] began, the former Generality lands were folded into the provinces. {{lang|nl|Bataafs-Brabant}} was merged with a number of formerly semi-independent [[Holy Roman Empire|Holy Roman]] [[fief]]s and part of the province of [[Holland]] to become the province of [[North Brabant]]; Staats-Vlaanderen was incorporated into the province of [[Zeeland]]; and most parts of {{lang|nl|Staats-Opper-Gelre}} and {{lang|nl|Staats-Overmaas}} were merged with territories gained from [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]] to form the [[Province of Limburg (1815–1839)|province of Limburg]], with the rest going to Prussia.

Territories of the Dutch Republic outside Europe were also under general ''States rule'', for example [[Staten Island]] in present-day [[New York City]]. [[New Zealand]] was also originally called ''Staten Landt'' after its Dutch discovery.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Dutch Republic]]
[[Category:Historical regions in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Former polities in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:History of Limburg (Netherlands)]]
[[Category:History of North Brabant]]
[[Category:History of Zeeland]]
[[Category:Zeelandic Flanders]]
[[Category:Catholicism in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Southern Netherlands]]